Real Betis' Luiz Henrique
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has reportedly made an enquiry for Real Betis’ Luiz Henrique, according to Dominic King.
The Lowdown: Henrique profiled
Henrique is 22 years of age and is primarily an advanced winger, but can also turn out deeper as a more traditional wide midfielder if needed. He only made the move to Betis last summer from Brazilian outfit Fluminense and is currently valued at a career-high €15m by Transfermarkt.
The Brazilian is a pacy player who can operate on both flanks, but likes to cut in from the right and shoot with his stronger left foot. He has contributed to two La Liga goals in 15 appearances, and it looks as if he is of interest at Villa Park.
The Latest: Enquiry made
King, a correspondent for The Daily Mail, took to Twitter on Tuesday to share an Aston Villa transfer update.
He said that Villa have failed with a club-record bid to sign Nico Williams from Athletic Bilbao, even though they were prepared to match a £45m release clause. The reporter then adds that ‘Emery has enquired‘ about Henrique as an ‘alternative’ target.
The Verdict: look elsewhere?
You could say that Villa need to bring in another centre-forward to rival Ollie Watkins and Jhon Duran after selling Danny Ings to West Ham. Villa may feel light of numbers in attack with just Watkins and Duran, and Henrique isn’t primarily a striker, so it may be wise to look elsewhere for now.
A versatile forward like Gerard Deloufeu could be a wiser target instead of looking to sign Henrique, as the Udinese man is primarily a centre-forward and has previous Premier League experience, something which could be handy with one of Villa’s current attacking options, Duran, new to England and still developing.
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